


The Princess and Her Daiyoukai

by Kat_writes



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23102458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_writes/pseuds/Kat_writes
Summary: Rin requests that Sesshomaru takes her to visit the miko. She has a message and a gift that she wants Kagome to give to the Sesshomaru in the future. A simple thing that results in an outcome they did not expect.(Originally a oneshot, now its own series of chapters.)
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 62
Kudos: 412
Collections: Inuyasha Fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Drabble prompt:  
> Rin plays matchmaker for Kagome and Sesshomaru
> 
> Target: 1k-2k words  
> (More or less is just fine!)
> 
> I have gone a good bit over XD
> 
> I hope you enjoy and sorry for any grammar errors

Sunlight beamed down from overhead as small hands delicately plucked flowers from the ground. The small green stems were then weaved together. Once the creation reached the desired length, the two ends were joined to form a crown. A small smile graced the girl's lips as soft round eyes looked fondly at the petals of the blue flowers. Though the hue was not quite the same, the color reminded Rin of the miko's eyes.

The two never had the pleasure to enjoy each other's company for long. It had always been glances on the rare occasion their paths had crossed. Neither knowing much of the other. At least, it had been that way until a surprise visit had occurred a few days ago.

  
Kagome and Inuyasha had broken into an argument, something that was sadly becoming more common for the duo. Too far away to return home through the well, she had decided to take a long walk to cool down. It was by luck that the human woman stumbled upon the camp of Sesshomaru's pack. She felt that she had been even luckier for the fact that he was not present when she appeared.

  
Though he had not been there, the same could not be said for the small, green imp. When he caught sight of the futuristic priestess, Jaken became fueled by rage. His screams of her insolence made her head hurt causing her to turn to leave before being stopped by Rin. As much as she liked him, even the child found his ranting to be annoying at times. Kagome's arrival made her realize how much she had desired the company of someone other than the youkai.

After ignoring his protests, the two human females spent their time together in discussion. Just as Rin had weaved the flowers, Kagome weaved tresses of the girl's hair. Flowers were worked in as beautiful decorations. It was during this time that Rin listened to the stories of the woman's life and her travels. The moment time travel was mentioned, all focus had fallen onto that. To say stories of the future were interesting was an understatement. The child had been in absolute awe as she listened to the miraculous differences of the future era.

  
When the daiyokai returned, Rin figured the conversation would stop. Unease radiated from the older human and it was noticeable by all. Her hands faltered in their movements as her voice no longer held confidence. Each word came with a shaky tone. None could blame Kagome, after all, the brief encounters with the lord were not always pleasant.

It was not until he sat down against a tree, closing his eyes, did the tension in the air dissipate. Realizing her presence was accepted, Kagome resumed her conversation, changing the previous topic from the future to a fairytale. Tentatively, the small girl listened as the priestess told a tale of a princess name Cinderella.

  
Emotions fluctuated as the events of the story progressed. The loss of a parent and the pain of being mistreated was something Rin knew all too well. She supposed Kagome did too, considering how the woman mentioned she lost her father. The newly obtained knowledge that Inuyasha treated her as inferior when compared to Kikyo helped Rin to compare the miko to the princess even more. Kagome may not have been treated as a maid, but the girl could see that being thought of only as a shard detector hurt the woman.

  
As the story had reached its conclusion, the thought of the princess and prince living happily ever after made Rin happy. Ever so gently, Kagome then hugged the little girl with a smile before leaving to regroup with her friends. While she departed, Rin wondered if Kagome would one day have her happy ending.

  
A hand touched the back of her head as she dwelled upon the recent memory. The once elegant braid was now a mess. Locks of hair had worked itself free and the tiny flowers slowly fell apart as they began to wilt. The thought of having to put her hair down saddened her.

  
Chocolate brown eyes glanced at the inu that sat on the other side of the glade. Perhaps if she asked, he would allow her to visit the miko. Was something as simple as fixing her hair a good enough reason for him to actively seek her out, though? There were a lot of things in the world Rin did not yet fully understand, however, she knew of the strained relationship between the brothers. A hairstyle was too much of a trivial thing for her lord to go through the trouble of dealing with Inuyasha.

  
She looked down at the blue flower crown in her hands before focusing back on the daiyoukai. A previous conversation with Jaken played in her head and she grinned as an idea struck her. Maybe it was possible to get what she wanted.

  
Scrambling to her feet, the girl went to her lord and presented the handmade crown. "Rin wants to give this to Lord Sesshomaru!"

  
A silver eyebrow arched at the excitement in her voice. Such gifts from her were not a new occurrence. The two had grown close enough that Rin felt comfortable placing them upon his being without the need to ask. The reason for the sudden change in behavior was not something he understood, but neither did he question it. Silently, he held his hand out to accept it.

  
"No," Rin shook her head. "Kagome said she was from the future. This Lord Sesshomaru can accept gifts from Rin at any time. But, Rin is human and in 500 years, Lord Sesshomaru has no Rin to accept gifts from."

"You wish to have the miko give it to this one in the future." It had been more of a statement than a question.

Seeing her nod, he debated the idea over in his head. It did not take long to reach a decision. For some reason, he could not find it in himself to deny the girl's wish, even if he had no desire to see the hanyo. Gracefully standing up, he spoke, "Get on Ah-Un."

Immediately, both she and Jaken had climbed onto the beast's back. Discontentment set its grasp upon the imp as they took off into the warm air. In no way, shape, or form was he happy about the idea of having his lord seek out the miko that followed the half-breed. The matter seemed entirely to trivial just to give the daiyoukai something meagerly as flowers. His gazed softened slightly as he glanced at Rin. Though, at the same time, he could understand the reason all the same. While they were used to her presence now, the day would at some point come when they would no longer have the child in their lives.

It took half an hour to reach their destination. The sight of Sesshomaru alone had caused Inuyasha's pack to be on edge. Kagome seemed to be the only one that had been unafraid by the killing perfection's arrival. Perhaps it helped that as soon as they landed near them, the child dressed in orange yelled her name in excitement. Rin jumped down from Ah-Un and ran up to the woman.

"This one expected to be mindlessly attacked upon arrival," Sesshomaru spoke as he noticed someone's absence.

Kagome smiled down at Rin, then looked back at Sesshomaru. "Inuyasha is... preoccupied with someone at the moment. Considering you brought Rin this time, is it safe to assume he is not who you are looking for?"

"Rin has a favor she wishes to ask of you," he replied monotonously. The urge to roll his eyes in regards to his half brother was withheld. It was of no surprise to him that Inuyasha left those in his care unprotected as he frolicked about with the undead miko. "Jaken, look after Rin." Not giving the imp a chance to answer, Sesshomaru left. He did not trust the hanyo to ensure the perimeter around his pack to be safe. It was obvious to him that Rin had more reasons to see the priestess than she claimed. The girl all but lit up when she was near the woman. Checking the perimeter both gave Rin what she truly desired as well as ensuring her safety. Yes, it was only for Rin's safety, he assured himself.

"This is unexpected," Sango muttered to Miroku, who nodded in reply.

Ignoring her friends, Kagome looked down at the girl sweetly. She held back a chuckle at the mess that had become the child's hair. Without a second thought, she sat on the ground and motioned for Rin to do the same. "You wanted a favor from me," asked Kagome as her hands worked to undo the braid.

"Rin wanted to see if you would give this to Lord Sesshomaru in the future." Rin pointed to the flower crown that had been placed on the ground near her.

Pulling out a comb from her nearby bag, Kagome began to work out the knots. "You didn't want to give it to him now?"

"You said you were from 500 years in the future. Rin is only human and won't live nearly as long as her lord. So Rin wishes for him to still be able to have stuff from her. And maybe you could also give him a message?"

Her heart broke at the idea of a lonely Sesshomaru. While they may not have been friends, Kagome could see that Rin meant a great deal to him. In his own way, he even seemed more caring. "I don't even know where he is in my time." Nor did she even know if any youkai still lived for that matter.

"Lord Sesshomaru will find you now, I know it."

Thinking it over for a moment, Kagome sighed. "Hold this," she handed partially braided strands of her to Rin. Turning to her side, she began to dig inside her bag looking for a certain device. After she retrieved the phone, she wrapped an arm in front of Rin and demonstrated how to work it. "Instead of me telling him for you, you can do it with this. If I press the red button, it... remembers us like a living painting," she struggled to find terms that would help Rin to understand. "By pressing the red button again, it creates a point where it stops remembering."

Rin was in total awe as she watched the conversation replay on the tiny screen in front of her. She didn't fully understand the magical rectangle, but she could grasp the concept that it recorded her and how to use it. The minute Kagome finished braiding her hair, Rin ran to the other side of the camp to be out of earshot as she filmed herself.

Not long after she finished and returned the phone, Sesshomaru reappeared and blankly stared at the miko. "This one trusts she has explained the favor she wishes from you."

"She has," Kagome nodded. "I'll do it. Inuyasha shouldn't complain because we have been preparing to head back that way. I just hope the flowers will make the trip. It'll take a few days to get to the well."

"This Sesshomaru will take you."

Her mouth dropped open as she prepared to object. Yet, words of refusal never came out. Was she about to deny the daiyoukai because she knew Inuyasha would be livid? He was out and about with Kikyo, so what right did he have to complain. If anything, traveling with Sesshomaru to the well had more pros than cons. His speed would give her an extra amount of days to spend in the future. Plus, there was no worry of the flower crown wilting before she arrived.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"Kagome, are you sure this is okay," Shippo asked, something the rest of her friends wanted to question as well.

"I'm just doing a harmless favor. If he truly had any ill intent, he wouldn't have brought Rin and none of us would still be breathing," she replied as she sorted through her bag. After passing the last bit of ramen packets to her friends, Kagome hugged them.

An arm wrapped around her without hesitation the moment she was at his side. Sesshomaru held her tightly against him. Kagome could feel heat rush to her cheeks, though she didn't have time to dwell on it as he leaped into the air. Releasing a yelp, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his fur. Sensing her fear, he slowed their speed of flight ever so slightly. Blue eyes slowly opened in an attempt to peek at their surroundings. What fear she held quickly dissipated as the view before them took her breath away. Flying was nothing new to her. Many times she rode on Kirara's back, albeit, they had never gone this high. The idea that she could meet her end if she so much as slipped did not scare her. If anything, never had she felt as safe as she did at that moment. After all, she was in the arm of Sesshomaru, the Killing Perfection.

After a while, the duo descended and landed in front of the well. He soon released her as she gave her thanks once more. One of her hands was placed on the lip of the well as she prepared to jump in. A single thought made her halt in her actions. Kagome never gave directions to the well, nor did she even tell him how she traveled in time for that matter.

"You hesitate."

The sound of his voice broke her from her thoughts. She turned towards him, unsure of what to say. It was not as though she could exactly question him. Right now, she had a task to focus on and his gaze was too intimidating to try to do otherwise.

"Will you be there? It is a 500 year distance, after all..."

Sesshomaru huffed as though he was insulted. "This Sesshomaru will be there."

Slowly, she wet her lips as she nodded. She climbed onto the well's lip and stared into the darkness below. Will he truly be there? Would he be different than the version she currently knew? With a deep breath, she jumped, feeling the familiar magic of the well surround her.

Once the magic finished with its leap of time, the priestess took hold of the ladder and climbed. A part of her expected to see the Lord of the West standing near the well as she emerged. Her heart felt heavy when she realized she was alone. Throwing her legs over the well's lip, she straightened her clothes and made her way to the door. A dark and heavy feeling began to build up in the pit of her stomach as she stood outside. He still was not here.

Was she right then? Did youkai truly not exist in her time? If that was so, then how would she break the news to Rin; or to Sesshomaru for that matter. Eyes started to water as the reality of the situation began to sink in. He was dead.

"This Sesshomaru will be here," she mimicked sadly. "Sorry to tell you, but you're a liar..."

"Brave of you to accuse me of lying, miko."

Her breath hitched in her throat as the familiar voice reached her ears. There was no way she just heard that! She couldn't even sense anyone around! The miko spun around with such speed that it almost caused her to have whiplash. Tears threatened to spill from cerulean eyes as they rested on a figure sitting on the roof of the wellhouse.

Hope crashed and burned as confusion and despair took root. Nothing about the man before her matched the youkai she knew. His hair was short and black, face clear of markings. No pelt of fur decorated his right shoulder. She couldn't see his eye color, but she knew it was not the gold she had been accustomed to seeing. To top it all off, the man had two arms.

"Who are you and why are you sitting up there?!"

Deep, loud laughter was not the response she was expecting. He stood and jumped from the roof, landing a foot away from her. His quick movement shocked her, causing her to back away slightly. In moments like this, she knew she needed to be on guard, to be prepared to defend herself, but she found difficulty in doing so. Her attention was solely on his face, the distraction making her vulnerable if he were to attack.

Nothing about him looked like Sesshomaru. Nothing, except his face. Though it was bare of his markings, the facial structure was very much the same.

"Not what you expected?" A smirk graced his lips as his eyes briefly flashed gold, "Considering you stare at me so intently, perhaps you like what you see."

"Se...Sesshomaru?"

His smirk turned into a light smile as he resisted the urge to laugh any more than he already had. The woman's reactions had always been amusing to him. Her emotions were the strongest he seen in any being and the moments where she experienced either shock, confusion, or embarrassment gave him great entertainment. Warmth filled his chest as he dwelled on the memories. His smile slowly vanished as he remembered the situation before him.

Not yet was she the Kagome he knew, that he remembered. She was not the woman whose company he had enjoyed, the friend whom he often listened to as she explained the science behind the stars in the night sky. The version of Kagome that stood before him now, viewed him as neither an ally or a friend. In her eyes, he was Inuyasha's half-brother, a youkai she didn't fully trust.

"Hn." What playfulness that had seeped into his voice and expression was now gone.

"You're... different."

"A glamour." He knew she meant more than his appearance. He had gotten too excited from the sight of her, allowing it to affect his behavior. "The idea for the advancement was not... easily accepted by youkai. However, it was the more peaceful option as humans began to advance rapidly. If it were not for the fact that your family will return soon and the chance for a random visitor to the shrine, I would remove it completely."

"That makes sense," she replied awkwardly. The daiyoukai seemed to change instantly from hot to cold. The air around them remained tense and they both remained silent. Neither knowing what to say to the other. After a moment, Kagome spoke again, "It's weird seeing you in this era. Especially, like this. I didn't expect you to wait for 500 years."

"476."

"Huh?"

"To say 500 years is inaccurate. It has been 476 years since the first time I brought you to the well."

_First time?_ Kagome wasn't sure if she should question about that or the fact that he counted the years. "Oh. I never had a definite way to tell the time difference, so thank you."

"Hn."

Silence returned between the two. For some reason, both found it hard to find the words to say to the other. Kagome figured his silence was normal for the Lord of the West, after all, he had never been much of a talker. It just did not explain why she was having such a difficult time now. She had been in his arms, er, arm just moments ago as they flew through the sky.

Movement at his feet caused her to glance down. Her heart stopped in her chest as Buyo rubbed against Sesshomaru's leg, loudly purring. She feared for the cat's life as the inu bent down and picked up the chubby feline. Images of dogs chasing cats played in her head. She just knew that he was going to harm her pet. As she opened her mouth to speak, Kagome froze as Sesshomaru petted the cat's head as he gently held him.

"You've done your job well, Kirara." The feline purred in response, leaning into his touch. "Though, they have fed you way too much."

Kagome's brain felt as though it was on meltdown. Sesshomaru, the cold-hearted inu daiyokai, was petting her cat. Buyo had been the family pet since her mother was pregnant with her. The feline's age was something that her grandfather believed to be a blessing. Not only was the cat slightly older than Kagome, but he still acted as though he never aged! Now, she was being led to believe that her male cat, was in fact Kirara.

"You can't be serious," she said with a wavering voice. "Buyo is a male! I don't even sense any youki from him!"

A tiny smirk reappeared on his face as he looked down expectingly at the cat. The feline meowed and jumped out of his arms. Landing on the ground, the calico cat's fur then slowly faded into yellow and black as a hidden second tail appeared. "In order to blend in, a glamour had to be able to hide both a youkai's scent and power. I do not know why she chose to appear as a male, but she was given the task of protecting you and your family. The Shikon jewel had been inside you the day you were born. Since threats could now easily hide from humans, Kirara and Jaken were tasked with keeping you safe until it was time for me to appear before you."

She took deep breaths as his words processed in her head. "In short, you've been having them protect me... Wait, Jaken? Who is he pretending to be?"

"He was to remain hidden. As loyal as he is, he cannot be trusted to keep his mouth shut. Especially during the times Inuyasha was to arrive here."

She let out a sigh of relief. The priestess wasn't sure how much surprises she would have been able to take. What was supposed to be a simple task had now turned into an experience that made her world flip upside down. Her eyes flew wide as she remembered why Sesshomaru was here in the first place. Shrugging off her bag, she knelt to the ground as she placed it down. She passed him the flower crown before continuing to dig.

Fingers ran gently over the petals as he stared softly at the crown. His chest tightened as he inhaled the faint scent of Rin that laced the item. A smell he had never forgotten, one he always longed for. This was the closest he had to see her again. He still remembered how she would call out to him.

"Hi, Lord Sesshomaru!"

The sound of Rin's voice made his heart constrict. His head shot up as he stared at the small screen the miko now held out before him. The small brunette child, smiling at him as she stared back at him from the device. She was young, incredibly young compared to when he last saw her. But that did not matter. He always saw the Rin as the tiny child he had saved, even when her smooth face began to wrinkle. And right now, he only saw Rin, his daughter.

"Kagome told me hitting the red button would make this remember me as Rin is now," she giggled excitedly. "Does Rin look the same as you remember, Lord Sesshomaru? Maybe this Rin is younger than that one. Oh, I wish I could see future Rin!"

Sesshomaru's hand trembled as it reached out for the phone. He knew he was supposed to accept the flowers, but he had no idea that Kagome allowed her to record herself. His chest shook as his breathing became labored. The crown slipped from his other hand as he gripped the phone tightly with both, holding it close to his face.

"Master Jaken said Rin wouldn't always be able to be by your side. This made Rin sad. Not because humans die, but because Lord Sesshomaru will have no Rin. No one will give him gifts like Rin does."

The image of Rin became blurry for him as tears formed in his eyes. Emotional and physical pain radiated throughout his chest as muscles strained from the quick shallow breaths as his frame quivered. Each inhale and exhale was loudly audible as he stared down at the phone.

"Rin doesn't want her lord to be alone! He should have a happy ending like the princess and prince in Kagome's story!"

A whine escaped from his mouth as he tried to hold back the tears that still yet to fall. His nails grew into claws as he lost control of his glamour. Short black hair changed to long silver locks. It fell to his sides, creating a veil of hair around his face and the phone. His heart hammered in his chest as it tried to keep up with the speed of his lungs. Sesshomaru began to feel light-headed as the rate of his breathing increased.

"Please do Rin a favor, Lord Sesshomaru. Allow Kagome to help you find your happy ending and help her find her's. Inuyasha doesn't fully appreciate her as he should, because of the other miko. It hurts Kagome a lot. Rin wants you to be there for each other so that way both can be happy. Kagome, you may be watching this too, so please look after him. Rin cares about him a lot and doesn't want her father to be alone."

As the video ended, Sesshomaru fell to his knees. A wail broke free as what little control over his emotions he had broke. Arms wrapped around his neck as Kagome pulled him into a tight embrace. His arms wrapped around her and held her tightly against him. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and sobbed. Tears streamed down from golden eyes as a hand gently rubbed his back. Kagome's other hand went to the back of his head and fingers soothing ran through the locks of his hair.

"It's okay, Sesshomaru. I'm here," softly cooed Kagome.

Tears formed in her own eyes as she listened to his cries. Inuyasha always joked that Tenseiga required compassion, something he considered his brother unable to possess. Yet, here the daiyoukai was, in her arms, broken, as he mourned for the child he lost centuries ago. Kagome wondered how much pain and suffering the daiyokai truly held in. It was then that she vowed silently to herself to be the pillar of support he needed; for the present Sesshomaru and the one in the past.

They sat unmoving from the embrace, even long after his tears stopped. He needed her and she was aware of it. Sesshomaru inhaled her scent and felt warmth envelop him, washing away what sadness remained. He pulled away slightly, before resting his forehead against hers. Gold gazed into cerulean as he realized something. There was a spark in her eyes that was not there when he first appeared before her. Even though it was tiny, Sesshomaru recognized it immediately. Kagome was already slowly becoming the woman he remembered from centuries ago. There was always warmth in her eyes as she looked at him. He never understood why. When he questioned her, she would only laugh and say, "Spoilers."

The day he learned what the emotion in her eyes was, was the same day they completed the jewel. She wished the wretched item away, causing her to return to her own time. Her absence had hit him hard. When he realized he longed for more than just her friendship, he realized the warmth in her eyes was what he felt. Love.

The small spark in her eyes gave him the urge to press his lips against hers. Closing his eyes, he pulled away. Despite what he felt, it was too soon. His time of waiting was not yet over. In this era, he had to win her heart and she had to win his in the past.  
His glamour returned as he willed for control over his emotions. Sesshomaru grabbed her phone, stood up, and then helped her to her feet. Kagome tilted her head as his fingers tapped away on the device.

As she went to talk, he quickly began to speak, "Two days from now, return to the past and let me know that you delivered the gift. I knew your group was returning to the village so I left Rin in their care and awaited their arrival near the well."

"I can't imagine Inuyasha was happy about that."

"He wasn't," he replied handing her the phone.

She looked down and saw a new text conversation had been created. Sesshomaru's name was at the top and he texted two messages from her phone. "I know why you sent the video to yourself, but what is this address?"

He smirked before he turned around and started to walk away. "My home. I expect to see you at 7 p.m. for dinner."

Kagome almost dropped the phone as she gawked at his back. Her face felt hot as her heart thumped in her chest. Did he just...? She shook her head. Surely he didn't mean that as a date.

"Sesshomaru,' she called out. "When you brought me to the well, you knew where it was. I never told you how I traveled through the past. So, how did you know?"

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Spoilers."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a great amount of positive feedback and a lot of mentions of wanting more. Sadly, life has been a bit hectic for me so this update is a bit delayed.  
> This chapter is a lot shorter than the last, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Not sure how many chapters I will do since this was originally a oneshot xD

  
The young woman wasn't sure what she had expected upon arriving at his home. True, her imagination had run wild with ideas, but she never thought it would be something like this. A lavish, modern house in the countryside, surrounded by trees. Was something this large capable of being called a house? Kagome supposed she could call it a mansion, but the term felt a bit much. In truth, it all seemed a bit much when you took its owner into account. Sesshomaru was the Lord of the West, however, he never did seem to fit the idea of a noble. Then again, she only knew of the human variant. Was youkai nobility different? Was he considered strange for being a nomad that traveled the lands or was that the norm?

A loud exhale escaped her lips as her lungs released a large amount of air. Regardless of the differences of nobles between the two races, it changed nothing about the here and now she was currently faced with.

Her tongue wet her lips as she continued to stare at the white door. She questioned why she even decided to show up in the first place. Sure she wanted to be some type of support for him, but here she was at the house of a daiyoukai who she had more deadly encounters with than friendly. It was a huge step compared to what she had in mind. Meeting up for coffee or just texting, that was something she could understand. Instead, she was at his home for dinner. Something she was still wondering if he meant as a date. Maybe that was still her mind jumping to conclusions when it came to a male.

If she were to be honest, the main thing that bothered her about the situation was her insecurity. The detested feeling wrecked her entire being. The outside of his home screamed elegance, even the white block of wood in front of her. It was a luxury that many could only dream to see and here she was dressed in jeans and a green t-shirt.

"How long do you plan to stand there? The door is unlocked."

Kagome jumped as Sesshomaru's voice broke her out of her thoughts. Her eyes flew to the doorbell that now had a glowing light. The urge to facepalm was withheld and insecurity grew as she felt like an idiot. How had she not noticed he had a smart doorbell? He probably saw her spaced out for minutes!

Taking a deep breath, her hand shakily reached for the doorknob. With a gentle turn, the door opened with ease. Kagome took slow steps as she walked in, closing the door behind her. If she hadn't felt out of place before, she wasn't sure how to describe her current feeling. The interior was even more beautiful than the exterior. Dark, shiny walnut floors, white walls, and a staircase to her left with iron railings that continued upwards to the indoor balcony on the second floor. The foyer had a small seating area with a glass table on a white rug.

Once more, his voice broke her out of her thoughts. She slowly followed the sound of his voice as he called out to her. Luckily, it wasn't that hard to locate him in the maze that seemed to be his home.

A warm smile greeted her as she entered the room. As much as he knew he needed to keep a lid on his emotions, Sesshomaru was too excited. Something that did not happen often. The warmth in his chest grew as he realized the priestess was staring at him.

"Like what you see?" He didn't bother to conceal his smirk.

Her mouth almost dropped open as she realized she had once more been standing silently as she was caught up in her mind. The miko had been in awe over the large kitchen until her eyes had caught him leaning against the island with his arms crossed. The glamour he wore earlier was gone, revealing the appearance she was used to seeing. Although, even that was slightly different now. Long, silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The white, button-down shirt shaped nicely to his chest, and the long sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing stripes on both arms. Black slacks and matching shoes completed his look. An outfit he was not wearing earlier.

"No," she exclaimed as she held her hands up in front of her defensively. "I mean, yes! Wait! I don't mean it like that! Not to say you're not hot... I'm just going to shut up." Kami, strike her down if Sesshomaru didn't decide to.

A rumble of laughter filled the air. He knew exactly what he was doing to her and couldn't help but be amused. For her benefit, he chose to change the topic. "You seemed to be running a bit late so I left the food in the oven to try to keep it warm."

Sesshomaru dropped his arms to his sides and walked around the island to the oven. He pulled out the pizza and set it on the marble countertop. Immediately, he grabbed a glass, filled it with ice, and poured a soda he faintly remembered her with once before.

She arched her eyebrow at the scene before her. "You baked a pizza?" It was a meat-lovers one at that. Had he luckily guessed her favorite kind and drink?

"Not to your liking?"

Her head shook as she took a seat at the island. "It's not that," she watched as he fixed a plate for her. "It's just surprising. Your lifestyle in this time seems so luxurious and you had me come over for a pizza. I suppose it's just more casual than what I figured you had in mind."

A plate was placed in front of her and he rested his arms on the counter. A smirk continued to grace his lips. "Had I known you wanted this to be a date, I would have made a steak dinner and paired it with a nice wine or sake."

"A date?! I didn't mean that!"

Sesshomaru gently waved a claw hand as if dismissing the topic. "Relax, miko. It was a jest. For someone who always told me to lighten up, you seem to be very serious yourself."

"Am I going to tell you that," she questioned as she lifted a slice of pizza.

"Hn."

Silence filled the air between them as neither knew exactly what to say. For one, there were many unasked questions, a lot she did not even know how to ask. For the other, there was a lot to say that couldn't yet be said. Both predicaments were hurdles neither were sure how to tackle.

"I don't think I said it, but your home is very lovely," Kagome said after finishing another slice. "I hope it doesn't sound offensive, but it doesn't seem very _you_."

"I take no offense. In truth, I do not particularly care for this house, nor do I use all the rooms it holds."

"If that's the case then why do you live here?"

"I own most of the surrounding forest. It gives me the privacy and freedom to change into my true form."

She placed a finger against her lip as she thought over his words. "That makes sense. Though, I'm surprised you went all out with the house if that's all it's for. The floors seem to be natural wood and the countertops are marble. Don't even get me started on the size of the house!"

"Though I do not care to drown myself in things that are considered luxurious, I have my reasons. When the day comes that I take a mate, I wish her to have the best." Sesshomaru grabbed a small slice and slowly ate it as he looked at her. It was not the first time he tried such things, nor would it likely be the last. Though, it did not mean he entirely cared for the food. Despite how much he said otherwise, the Kagome he knew would always insist he eat with her. She would claim it was awkward to be the only one to eat while he sat near her.

"You're telling me that in 476 years that the great Sesshomaru still hasn't found someone?" Kagome wanted to take the words back as soon as she said them. There were better ways to ask that and better things to say. Why did it seem she was making a fool out of herself today?

The anxiety that rushed through her was obvious in her body language. To some degree, it even laced her scent. The woman's strong emotions both amused and confused him constantly. It could switch rapidly and produce a situation he would never expect. It was one thing he loved about her. The reason why was not something he could explain, even after all of these years. It was just something that he found was uniquely _her_.

Knowing the priestess was going to mentally torture herself, Sesshomaru decided to give her information to chew on. "I suppose you could say the one got away."

At first, shock radiated through her core before it changed to sadness. Sesshomaru had been in love and possibly even had his heart broken. The scene of his breakdown from earlier in the day danced in her mind. How many times had he broken down like that with no one to support him? How long had he been alone?

His nose twitched at the new scent from her emotions. He had not intended for it to make her sad. Thinking on his feet, Sesshomaru motioned for her to follow him. The last bit of the pizza abandoned, the duo made their way to the living room. As she sat on the leather couch, he began to dig through the drawers in his entertainment center. Once he found his targeted object, he tossed it onto the coffee table in front of her.

"I trust you know how to play Uno?"

With a quick nod, she smiled. "I play it with Shippo when we have time to. It's not something I expected you to have, much less know how to play."

He shrugged, "There's a lot I've tried and collected over the years."

That tad bit of information piqued her interest. As the two played multiple rounds, Sesshomaru did his best to answer her questions while he secretly enjoyed how competitive she was. To his relief, her focus was mainly drawn between his life centuries after the destruction of the shikon jewel and the present. He told her of inaccuracies in history books, the difficulties youkai had blending in with humanity, and how he still is considered a lord and regulates those under him. Normally, Kagome would fall asleep in history class, yet with Sesshomaru, she felt pulled in. Every word interested her. In a way, he was seeming more of his own person now, not just Inuyasha's older brother.

"No way! You were in the yakuza," she exclaimed, their card game forgotten hours ago.

"Yakuza, CEO, government official, etc.," he replied casually.

"Seriously?!"

He chuckled, "No."

Her eye twitched as she grabbed a small, decoration pillow and threw it at him. A clawed hand caught it before it could even reach his face. She huffed as he gave her a look. It didn't take long before she began to laugh.

If someone was to ask her why she was so comfortable around him suddenly, Kagome wouldn't be able to answer. Normally, throwing an object at the killing perfection's face would be a death sentence. Yet, for some reason, in the small amount of time she had spent with him, she felt as if it was completely natural. Like she had a friend that had known her for years. One who understood her and didn't judge her despite what she said or did.

Blue eyes glanced at the warm gold that focused on her. Perhaps it was because of time travel. She learned a side of him no one else knew in the present and he learned about her in the past. A cycle that philosophically didn't have a starting point, but still allowed them to experience the other's role.

A vibration from her pocket tore her from her thoughts. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and read her notification. Realizing the time as well as who had texted her, Kagome began to slightly panic. It was already midnight!

"I didn't realize how late it was! Were we really talking for that long?"

He glanced at a clock on the wall and began to stand. "Seems so. Did you drive here?"

She shook her head. "Mom had given me money for a taxi. I'll have to call another to come to get me. It's going to be so late by the time I get home!" Not to mention the fare will be more expensive for how late at night.

"Why not just spend the night here?"

The priestess froze. Was he offering her to spend the night at his house? She tried to calm her quickly beating heart. There were times where her mind jumped quickly to conclusions way to fast and it was currently in a dangerous area. "I don't think my mom would approve of that. I can just get a ride."

A silver eyebrow arched in response. "She will allow her daughter to travel back in time, fight youkai, sleep in the woods with males only feet away, and have brushes with death, but spending the night in a separate room at my home is out of the question? I'm offering a place to sleep, not telling you to rut with me, Kagome."

Shit. He had a point... and knew exactly where her mind had headed. The idea couldn't help but make her blush.

"As you said," he continued, "it will be even later by the time you get home. Both you and your mother will be able to sleep sooner if you just spend the night. I can take you home in the morning if you wish."

Hesitantly, she bit her lip. Fingers tapped away at the screen as she responded to her mother. After receiving the okay, the next text her mother sent made Kagome nearly throw her phone in embarrassment. There was no reason there would need to use that! Not wanting to dwell any longer on it, she put her phone away. "Alright, I'll stay the night."

He nodded with a smile that was hidden within. Getting her home within a short amount of time would have been no issue for him, though it would have required flying. An act that he made use of any chance he had. The inu was just grateful she didn't think about that or the fact no one could see them so late at night. In no way was he ready for her to go home. Even if she was to spend her time in a separate room, having her under the same roof was better than not having her near at all. He had already experienced too many centuries without her.

"Go upstairs, follow the balcony, and go to the third room on the left. Someone I know likes to randomly visit unannounced and made a habit of leaving spare clothes for such occasions. You can borrow some of those. His mate is about your size. You can bathe in the bathroom connected to that room."

"Alright. Thanks, Sesshomaru," she smiled as she turned to leave the room.

"Kagome."

"Hm," she glanced behind.

"I'm going to send you a video in response to Rin's. Her eyes only."

Curiosity nipped at her, but she didn't feed into it. With a simple nod, she spoke, "I won't let anyone else see. I won't even peek. Promise."

With that, silence fell between them as she continued on her way to the guest room. As she disappeared from view, he stared at the pillow she threw before placing it back on the sofa. A small chuckle slipped from him before he left the room. Following the same path as Kagome, he continued to the end of the hall and entered his room. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he grabbed the flower crown from his nightstand. Rin's scent filled his nostrils as his fingers gently rubbed the petals of a flower. No matter how much he thought about it, Sesshomaru could never understand how such innocence had allowed for the most unlikely pairing to fall in love. Despite that, he was glad for what would happen and for what had already passed.

He pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen. His lips curved into a sad smile as he hit play on the video that he had watched over ten times earlier in the day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as the other two ^^
> 
> Having trouble focusing on the proofreading part so there may be some errors still.

"Why are you smiling?"

The tone in her voice held amusement and curiosity. The happy expression on the fearsome daiyoukai's face was still an unusual sight to behold. Odder than the fact that he was staring at her so merrily was that in a way, he seemed pure. His face mimicked the bright and joyful smile Rin would have when it came to flowers. The idea that a demon who bathed in blood often in the past, striking down enemies with ease, could have such a look of purity and innocence was impossible. Yet, impossible was right before her and oddly fitting.

For a while, she believed that Sesshomaru was a murderous sociopath with extreme hatred. A being incapable of caring for anyone or anything other than himself. It was ideas Inuyasha had drilled into her head. Normally, she would allow herself to truly know them before making judgments, but his constant attempts of killing or fighting Inuyasha seemed to prove the hanyou's words. Only, it wasn't true at all. Tenseiga required compassion to work and the Lord of the West had managed to resurrect a girl, a human one at that. He cared for her, raised her, and even mourned. The version of the daiyoukai that Kagome was so accustomed to seeing hid his emotions in order to seem cold and unfeeling. But she was able to catch glimpses in the past and even more in her time of the true Sesshomaru. 

His smile never broke and he continued to stare at her warmly. "Nostalgia." It had been so long since he had seen the familiar uniform she wore so often. The green skirt paired with a white shirt trimmed in green and the red tie that rested in the center. Centuries ago, the outfit had been so scandalous. When he first saw it, he couldn't believe that a human girl would actually wear something so revealing. Living throughout the years, he watched as fashion changed and when he made it to this era, he no longer thought of it the same. In fact, it was quite tame, especially when you compared it to other revealing outfits in this time.

The smile on his face only grew as he dwelled more in his thoughts. He imagined the times they laid on the ground, gazing at the night sky. Her excitement when he "accidentally" stumbled upon her after not seeing each other for a brief time. The warmth he felt when she'd throw her arms around him and smile as if nothing else mattered, but them. Moments that occurred while she wore that outfit.

"The day you brought Rin's gift," he spoke once more, "so much was going on that I did not take in your attire. Now that I can... It causes memories to surface."

"Oh?" Kagome tilted her head as she smirked. "What exactly are you feeling nostalgic over? The times you tried to kill me in the past or the future attempt on my life when I go back and say we are besties?"

A glare was the only reply she received before he sprayed her with the hose from the sink. The moment she yelped and jumped back, uniform now wet, he laughed. Her eye twitched as she tried to kill him with her eyes. Since it did not seem to work, Kagome resorted to throwing a dishrag at him in retaliation. To her dismay, he caught it. Sighing in defeat, she stuck her tongue out at him before continuing to dry dishes. It took every ounce of willpower for him to not capture what was so teasingly shown to him. Instead, he turned to the task he was originally focused on.

Had anyone told her a few days ago that she would be doing dishes inside her home with the help of Sesshomaru, Kagome would have died laughing. The idea itself was ludicrous. She wouldn't have been able to imagine the Killing Perfection so willing to work with her on such a tedious chore. Yet, here they were, washing dishes from dinner for the second night in the row. The previous day, Sesshomaru had brought her home as he promised and stayed for a reason that still escaped her. He had stayed and spent time with her family and her on his own accord. The moment he released his glamour, she expected for all hell to break loose, but it never did.

Her brother questioned him before soon looking at him in amazement after hearing of the daiyoukai's feats. Her mother accepted his presence easily and treated him as though she knew him before. Even her grandfather, who gave Inuyasha a rough time, didn't try to purify the youkai. A fact that she was truly grateful for. The Buyo is Kirara reveal had also gone smoothly, something that was even more surprising. Though, perhaps that was because it did make sense when you took in the feline's originally believed age.

When dinner had concluded yesterday, everyone had said their goodbyes to the daiyoukai after everything had been cleaned. Kagome had thought that was it and attended school the following day. After feeling hopelessly lost in all subjects, she walked home with an invisible grey cloud floating above her head. It rained down on her as stress and anxiety from the idea of failing took root. No matter how much she had tried, it seemed she could never balance her life in both eras. The young priestess had no idea how to explain to her mother that she risked failing the school year.

It was that doubt and fear that had made her hesitate to open the door to her house. After gaining courage, she entered and announced her arrival as she always did. She followed the sound of her mother's voice and was greeted by a familiar warm smile as she walked into the living room. Once more, Sesshomaru was visiting and staying for dinner. 

Would he always randomly visit now? It was a question she immediately wondered and found herself not minding if he did. Somehow, the previous stress and anxiety she had felt disappeared the moment she saw him happy to see her. Though it was still strange, she was glad he was there. She enjoyed the small amount of time she had with him so far. He was a friend she felt she had all her life, even though it was not true. She also felt closer to him than she did to her friends from this era. The whole situation was indeed strange, but at the same time, felt natural.

"Why were you down earlier, when you returned home?" His voice broke her out of her thoughts. He continued to focus on the dishes in front of him instead of looking at her.

She bit her lip as anxiety threatened to build up again. Taking a deep and silent breath, she tried to find the words to speak. Each time she opened her mouth, nothing came out. How did someone admit to feeling like a failure, let alone tell someone else that?

Kagome didn't notice that her breathing picked up in pace along with her heartbeat. Each breath, becoming slightly heavier and quicker than the last. She didn't even know that her scent changed as salty tears wanted to form in the corner of her eyes. No, she never noticed, but he did. Every quick-changing detail was caught by him and he refused to ignore it. Her emotions were always so raw and strong. Sesshomaru knew the difficulties she faced in this time, something her brother and friends never truly took an interest in or understood. Hell, at first even he didn't truly understand it until he watched the human race progressed. The only thing that he knew in the past was that it meant a great deal to her and he had been the listener that she always needed.

She placed the dishtowel down as she dried the last plate. "I..." Words failed to flow as her mouth felt dry. The weight in her chest only grew stronger as she tried to respond. A part of the priestess was scared to even utter the truth. Saying it aloud would make it more real and only confirm to her new friend that she was inadequate in more ways than one. Often, Inuyasha compared her to the undead miko, causing her to feel inferior. Admitting her shortcomings to someone, whose name partly meant perfection and lived up to it, seemed like a bad idea.

No words needed to be spoken for him to know with what she struggled with. He knew of her insecurities, regardless of how often he insisted it was not true. The woman's stubbornness was a part of her he had grown to love but was a problem in matters such as these. A clawed hand shot out and held onto hers as she so often had done to him. "I won't judge you, Kagome. Tell me what troubles you."

Whether it was the sincerity in his voice and eyes or the soothing way his thumb massaged her hand that made it easier, she didn't know. At that moment, she knew she was safe. "I'm failing in school. Each time I come back, I struggle to catch up. At this rate, I don't even know if I will pass this year."

"Perhaps, you could talk to your mother about being homeschooled." The look on her face gave a quick answer to that. Though, he knew she wouldn't do so in the first place. School was the last bit of normalcy in her life. It was something for her to hold on to when all seemed uncertain. "If you prefer, I could also tutor you. It may not help much, but you'd have assistance for topics you have trouble understanding."

"You would do that for me?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise."

The hug that came in the form of a tackle was something he expected and welcomed. To think he still remembered her small tells for the action after centuries had passed. The way her face lit up, rivaled the light of the sun. Muscles in her legs tensing as heels slowly lifted off the ground in preparation for her leap. He smiled softly as he buried his face in her hair.

The two stayed like that for some time before he pulled away begrudgingly. She was due to make an appearance on the other side of the well soon. After watching her gather her needed device for her brief trip, Sesshomaru accompanied her to the well. It took a large amount of willpower for him not to pull her away from it. Logic told him he had nothing to fear for the moment, but the memory of her being lost to him through time caused him unease. If he could, he would've kept her to himself here and now. His past self and the jewel be damned. Too bad things could not be that simple. As she leaped into the well, his heart sunk.

Once the familiar magic of the well vanished around her, Kagome looked up to see the blue sky that confirmed she traveled into the past. Wasting no time, she grabbed a vine and began to climb her way up. Getting a ladder for the past would be something she would need to eventually invest in. It had not been the first time she didn't have Inuyasha there to help her out the well, but it did not mean it was entirely easy for her to do so on her own. In fact, she always harbored a fear of a vine breaking and falling back down, stranded in the well's depth if the passage of time did not open.

As she emerged from within the well, she saw a familiar figure leaning against a tree staring at her. Not once did he move or offer to help. It was a fact that irritated her. Frozen heart or no, the damn daiyoukai could still have assisted her. After all, she was doing something as a favor to both him and Rin, even if it was only the child who made the request.

If he had noticed her angry glare as she approached, he showed no sign of it. Even as she stopped inches away from his feet as he sat against a tree, he did not move, only continued to stare at her with a blank expression.

"This one sees your task is complete," Sesshomaru spoke with cold indifference. There was no need for her to confirm it for him. His scent strongly radiated from her being. "It was not this Sesshomaru's expectation to wait so long."

The ice in his tone felt as though a bullet had struck her heart. This was the version she was used to, the one she had known longer. Nothing about his actions or demeanor was surprising. So why did it suddenly hurt? 

"Blame yourself for that one," her feet fidgeted as she stood in place. Her quick anger disappeared as she focused on the unexpected emotional pain she felt. It was uncomfortable just like the situation before her. Future Sesshomaru had been so easy to talk to, but this one was a block of ice. "You told me to wait and come back today."

A silver brow arched for a brief moment, before lowering just as quickly. "Hn."

In just those few seconds, his mind had processed the situation at hand. She didn't appear until today and told him what he had done. If she were to come back just as quickly as she had gone, it would've changed the past, therefore affecting future him. Unknowning the changes it could implicate, he would do as she said in the future to prevent changing anything. In short, it was a loop that was possibly necessary or not. One that did not have a true beginning or an end. A tedious thing to ponder that held no true significance. The task was a simple one that he would carry out and that was all there was too it.

Realizing he was not going to say anything else, her weight continued to shift between her feet in the awkward silence. A small device from within her pocket hit her thigh as her skirt moved from the small movement. Memories of what she was supposed to do came flooding back and she mentally facepalmed. "I have something for Rin. Is there any chance she is nearby? I know we left her with the others when we came here, but if you've been here waiting-"

"Both she and your pack should be arriving soon."

Kagome held back the urge to fuss at him for rudely interrupting. The jerk could have at least given her a chance to finish talking. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her ire. She looked down at the lord, noticing his eyes were closed as he continued his wait for his ward to appear. The miko felt as though her entire existence was being ignored as he remained silent and unmoving. How the hell was she supposed to become friends with him?!

Silence remained besides the small rustle of grass from her footsteps as she moved to sit next to him. A part of her expected him to tell her to move or glare at her for sitting so close. Instead, her existence continued to be ignored. She mentally cursed at the future him. He could have told her at least something to say or do to prevent this deafening quietness between them!

Things would have been so much easier if he would have been more like the future version. That Sesshomaru was talkative, accepted hugs, and even hugged back! Not one of those half-hearted hugs either. He used both arms to hug her tightly!

Both her thoughts and body froze in place. Her breathing even halted for a moment. Slowly she glanced at his arm that was near her; or rather the one that was supposed to be there. One that was currently missing because of her. Sure they were enemies at the time and he had tried to kill her, but that was no longer the case. Here she was, upset that he was so cold, yet she had not done anything to rectify the reasons he was cold towards her.

"I'm sorry."

Planning ahead and predicting the moves of everyone around him was something he constantly did. More often than not, his predictions were correct giving him the advantage in any situation. In battle, he would know his next move as he evaded an enemy's with ease. If it was politics, he knew what would be said and what his reply or action would be to get what he wanted. When he smelled her anger, he expected her to try to argue, though he could easily intimidate her. Yet, that did not happen. Her anger changed to uneasiness instead. Sesshomaru then thought she would leave for the nearby village or go back to the well. He had not planned on her asking about Rin, though given the fact of the situation of the future him, it made sense and was not all that surprising for there to be a gift in return. Given that the miko still felt uneasy and waited for her friend's arrival with his ward, surely she would now leave for the human settlement or wait on the opposite side of the small clearing. Once again, the miko acted in a way he did not plan for. Who would expect someone to sit near the person who made them feel unease?

After all of that, there was nothing she could say or do that could surprise him any further. Either they would sit in silence or she would feel awkward and ramble on about meaningless things. Nothing else. The moment her scent changed again, this time to sadness and he became confused as to why. There was not enough time to formulate the next course of action. He had no predictions ready for him to be expectant of anything, yet the miko managed to do the impossible. An apology from her was the last thing from his mind.

Golden eyes shot open and met cerulean immediately. Neither spoke a word, though it was not needed. The daiyoukai's face was emotionless as always but Kagome saw the confusion in his eyes. Somehow at that moment, those two circular objects spoke volumes. She didn't know how to even explain why she was nor did she even know how to truly apologize for it. Though it would not always be the case, a reason she still had yet to learn as to why, the fact remained he currently was missing one due to her. Instead of speaking, she grabbed the sleeve of his top.

Clarity and understanding finally became available to him. The miko felt guilt for what was lost to him. Why she felt so and why so sudden, he did not know nor did he bother to question her on it. "This Sesshomaru has long since come to terms with it. There is no reason to feel guilt, miko. When attacked, it is your right to be defended. Even Inuyasha who dealt the blow cannot be blamed."

"I know that, but even still... I'm sorry..."

His eyes flickered down to the small hand that still gently tugged on the sleeve. Sesshomaru took a silent deep breath as he looked back at her face. The salt in her scent gave away tears that were wanting to form. The woman before him continued to be perplexing. She knew that she was not at fault, yet she still harbored guilt. Sesshomaru didn't know of any other being who could possibly feel the same as her if placed into the same situation.

"Bare your neck."

Confusion flooded her as she stared at him. "What?"

He didn't speak again, but his gaze felt slightly more intense as he waited for her to do as she was told. Still not fully understanding what he was after, she tilted her head to the side as much as possible. His right hand reached over and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. The tips of his claws slightly touched her neck as he did so, giving Kagome a strange sensation she never felt before. As strange as it was, she couldn't say it felt unpleasant.

After moving her hair, his hand grabbed her throat. Normally she would have panicked but there was no pressure. It was as if he was just holding her neck. Soon his thumb traveled upwards, running across her jawline and over her chin, before touching a small part of her lower cheek.

Sesshomaru pulled his hand away and continued to look at her silently. For a moment, she was still confused as straightened her head into its normal position. It took a short time for her to realize what exactly happened. She had submitted and he quite literally held her life in his hand. If he wanted to kill her, he could've done it easily at that moment and chose not to. In his own inu daiyoukai way, he had forgiven her. Kagome wanted to hug him as she did in her time, but knew that it was too risky right now. Still, she wanted to show her gratitude. 

A smile formed on her face as blue eyes shone brightly. No, shone was not the right word. If Sesshomaru had to pick one, glowed would be a better fit. The way the sun hit her eyes made the blue that much brighter as if it had its own aura around it. The sight before him was similar to how Rin looked when she was happy, but something about it was different. He couldn't tell what it was, whether it was the miko or the warmth in the core of his chest. Perhaps it was both. Either way, he chose to not dwell on it longer.

Sesshomaru gave the slightest of nods before leaning back and closing his eyes. When she had seemed confused, he thought she would be in need of an explanation. One that he was not going to give. Alas, the priestess had managed to figure it out on her own instead of asking as he had figured. She was an enigma that he couldn't seem to be one step ahead of. At least, for now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been sitting in my folders, collecting digital dust for a while. I've been lacking the creative flow for a good bit. To a point, still am.
> 
> I hope this chapter is enjoyed just as much as the others. I'm still a bit eh about it, though lol.

  
A gentle, cool wind blew into the clearing around the well as birds chirped from nearby trees. Bees danced from flower to flower and the occasional rabbit emerged from the forest. The environment was so relaxing, a fact that Sesshomaru could not deny. He began to feel even more relaxed when a certain miko rested her head upon the shoulder of his missing arm. If anyone took such liberties with his person, they would instantly be put in their place. However, the thought never occurred to him this time. Instead, the daiyoukai cracked his eyes open and glanced at the sleeping female. 

He had noticed when she had begun to drift off to sleep. Her breath and heart rate slowed as an occasional soft sigh escaped her lips. At the time, his eyes didn't need to be open to know her head struggled to stay upright as she waited for her pack to arrive. Sesshomaru heard as her body fidgeted in its fight, only to lose and rest against him instead.

As he looked at her, Sesshomaru had first focused on her face. The way her lashes cast small shadows, occasionally fluttering as her eyes moved in her sleep. Seemingly soft lips that were open ever so slightly for the passage of air. Eyes traveled downwards, stopping at a lock of hair that rested over her neck. Each strand shiny and clean with a nice subtle scent to match. He trailed upwards, watching each curve of her hair, all the way up to the natural part on the top of her head.

A nearby spike snapped him out of whatever trance he had been in. It was not until now did the lord realize she had barely missed hitting her head on his armor. She could have easily been blinded in one eye or received some other type of damage due to her carelessness.

Once more, he looked down at her neck, now noticing the odd bent in it. Without thinking, Sesshomaru reached out and gently lifted her head, guiding it down to rest on his leg. Whether it was comfortable, he could not say, but it did give her neck a more natural position.

He returned his head to its original position, eyes closed once more. The moment her friends would arrive, they would surely take notice of her position. There was no intention to answer any of their questions that would arise, although they were probably similar to the ones now in his head. His actions were out of character, something even he could admit to himself. Yes, he had always harbored a curiosity regarding the human woman, however, it didn't justify why he allowed her to rest against him. He could have easily woken her up or pushed her off without a care. So why did he delicately move her into a more comfortable position?

An image of her standing in the rain looking upwards at the full moon flashed in his head. It wasn't an imagination his mind conjured up, but a memory of a night from many moon cycles ago. The importance of it or what it had to do with the current situation did nothing to aid his understanding.

Sesshomaru left behind his current train of thought as he felt Inuyasha get closer. The half-breed's anger was something he could sense even from the current distance. Moments before the group emerged from the forest, he once more opened his eyes.

Needless to say, the entire group was shocked as they saw the duo on the other side of the clearing. All except Rin that is. The small child was already happy about seeing her lord. The miko using his lap as a pillow only fueled that happiness. To her, it was a sign that her plan to have them become close had worked.

"What the hell did you do to Kagome," Inuyasha's voice loudly echoed into the air as he unsheathed Tesseiga. The disruption of peace caused nearby animals to run away as flocks of birds flew from the treetops in fright.

When Inuyasha had returned to his camp a few days ago and found Kagome replaced with his brother's pack, he was livid. Despite what he was told, Inuyasha refused to believe she willingly left with the bastard. The logic that the daiyoukai's pack was left in his care was not even considered by him. Instead, his brain only tormented him as the days went by. Images of Kagome suffering horrific damage by his brother's hand played in his mind.

"If you were competent enough to assess the situation, you would realize she is sleeping and unharmed." Sesshomaru's tone was layered in ice. "Considering you are pointing your weapon in this one's direction, maybe what little competence you were believed to have doesn't exist. After all, if you would attack, it is your packmate you would risk harming."

Inuyasha growled, "Cowardly Bastard! You're using her as a shield!"

The Lord of the West gave no rebuttal, instead focusing his attention on the shifting miko below. She groaned lowly as she awoke prematurely. Groggily, she opened her eyes and yawned. Blue eyes focused on the pale blob that looked down upon her until features focused into view. Kagome continued to lay there as a small smile grew onto her face as she looked at the daiyoukai.

Sesshomaru was unsure of what perplexed him more. The reason for her smile, the tiny speck of warmth in her eyes, or the twinge of pain he felt as she came to her senses and flew upwards, scrambling to her feet. A flow of stuttering apologies from her followed soon after.

"Miko, enough." He broke her senseless apologetic rambling as he stood. "You said you had something for my ward. Deliver it so we may take our leave."

The bitter cold in his voice caused her to frown. She never found it hard to become friends with someone before. All her life, she had been quite the social butterfly and could easily talk to any stranger. However, the daiyoukai before her presented a challenge in that aspect. He was an ice block that she knew was capable of warmth. She just had to chip away to let it out. Boy, did she have a lot of chipping away to do.

The moment she stepped away from him, Inuyasha took the chance to dash at his brother. Metal clashed from behind her as she resisted the urge to sigh. Despite how predictable and tiring it was, the situation did present her with a good opportunity. The second she approached Rin, she pulled the device from her pocket as well as earphones. Kagome then whispered instructions into the girl's ear and gestured for her to go behind a tree to be out of sight.

"Do I want to know what that was about," asked Sango as she moved towards her friend.

"Simply put, future Sesshomaru has a message for Rin that the one from this time can't know." The confusion from her friends was clear as day so she continued, "It would take away the surprise and meaning to the message if he knew what would be said or done."

"That would make sense, though I'm still curious as to how you came to sleep on his lap." Miroku grinned at the miko with gleaming eyes. His mind started to wander into lewd territory only to be pulled back to reality as the fighting increased in volume. "Should we try to break them up?"

Shippo snickered from the monk's shoulder, "I think we should let Inuyasha get roughed up a bit more."

"As if foolish weaklings such as yourselves could stop L-," Jaken was interrupted as Miroku hit him in the head with his staff, earning a deep rumbling chuckle from the two-headed dragon.

Kagome felt a little sorry for the imp. Sure, he was annoying in the few times she saw him, but he did seem like the type to be constantly bullied. She could only imagine what it was like for the two groups to travel as one for the past few days. Somehow the miko didn't have to ask to get the idea that it was more than likely unpleasant. A small group that loves Sesshomaru in the same proximity as his younger brother that hates him. It's just a recipe for disaster.

As the skirmish continued to rage on, Kagome glanced at the treeline. Just how long was the video he had made? Perhaps, it wasn't the fact that it was long, but rather the girl had difficulty with the futuristic technology. The miko shook her head. No, if that was true, Rin would have sought out her help.

Her attention turned to the two brothers. Did she need to intervene? If it stopped too soon, it may tamper with Rin's task. On the other hand, if it didn't stop, someone was going to get seriously hurt. Sighing, Kagome made her decision and uttered the familiar command.

The moment the hanyou crashed to the ground, Sesshomaru sheathed his blade. Golden eyes shifted from Inuyasha's prone form to the priestess that approached. "This one trusts your task is complete."

"Almost," Kagome replied. Rin needs a little longer. The pointless fighting just needed to end soon. Inuyasha doesn't always know when to let things go."

"Keh," the younger inu groaned as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground, "I run over here to save you and this is how you repay me?!"

"I didn't need to be saved! I was and currently am safe with your brother. You just don't know when to quit before you get yourself severely injured!" Kagome let out a deep breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, Inuyasha, the whole argument is pointless. I'm okay and that is all you should be concerned about."

Inuyasha glared at her as he growled. "Like hell it is! I don't know what brainwashing he has done to you, but like hell am I going to sit back and allow you to fraternize with the enemy!"

Taking another deep breath, she tried to remain calm. How many times did she have to repeat she was not some possession for him to control. "The only enemy we have is Naraku. I may not have senses on par with a youkai, but something tells me that Sesshomaru is not him in disguise. If he truly was our enemy, I have enough confidence in his skills that we would be dead already if he truly wished for it.

"There was no 'brainwashing'. _He_ sought me out on Rin's behalf and _I_ accepted their request. No one forced me since it was my choice to begin with. It is also my choice to continue to interact with him in both this time and mine, not yours. The only one who has any right to object to this is your brother and so far he has not!"

Before she or anyone else could say more on the matter, small arms wrapped around her waist. Rin smiled as she tightly hugged the woman before carefully slipping the device into her skirt pocket. Though the hug had a purpose to stealthily give the phone back, it was still a genuine one. Rin was incredibly grateful for the priestess's efforts as well as thrilled with the information her lord had bestowed upon her.

"Thank you for doing this for Rin!" The child continued to smile happily even after she pulled out of the hug. "Lord Sesshomaru says you'll seek us out in a few weeks! Rin can't wait!"

"Is that so?" Kagome watched the gleeful child before glancing at the older inu. It was the first time she heard that she was supposed to seek them out. She wondered if that meant there would be more times she would have to find him or if they would develop a system. "You're okay with that, right?"

"This Sesshomaru would have never objected or never would have mentioned it if it was not permitted." As soon as he uttered it, the daiyoukai turned and walked away without a goodbye. Not needing to be told, his group followed after him, Rin being the only one to bid farewell.

Inuyasha glared at his brother's retreating form. He knew he didn't own Kagome, but that didn't mean he couldn't help her to not make a bad decision. Getting close to his brother or just being in constant contact was considered one in his book. The daiyoukai hated humans, though the reason Rin traveled with him escaped the hanyou. Regardless, Sesshomaru never acted without reason. There was always a plan or some sort of scheme to accompany anything he did. Whatever he had in mind for Kagome was not good, she just couldn't see it.

Not allowing her to have time to interfere with his next course of action, Inuyasha dashed towards the well. He heard her begin to call after him as he jumped in without hesitation. The magic of the well cut off her yells as he was transported into the future.

The moment the process was over, the inu jumped out and sniffed the air. Sesshomaru had definitely been here. His scent was light in the air, suggesting he had only been here briefly and possibly only an hour or so ago.

The fact he smelled his brother at all caused a heavy feeling in his chest. Inuyasha had checked for any signs of youkai in this time before and had never come up with anything. There was no presence or scent of a youkai that he could find. It was because of this that the future was deemed safe by him. An area that he did not have to accompany Kagome and protect her. Now that the daiyoukai was confirmed to be here, that sense of security was shattered. There was no telling what dangers she or ever her family faced.

_Her family._

Inuyasha rushed out of the well house and sniffed the air again. Sesshomaru's scent was even stronger, fresher. His brother was still in the area. He walked forward, nose in the air as he tried to pinpoint the strongest air of scent. The only issue was that everything was incredibly fresh, making locating his brother even more difficult. The only comforting thought was that he smelled no blood. Her family was still safe and unharmed for now.

Quickly determining his nose wasn't the best solution to the problem, Inuyasha jumped on to the roof of the well house and scanned the area. It was then he noticed a figure by the goshinboku. A man with dark hair stared at the tree.

"Oi," he yelled as he leaped from the roof to close the distance between him and the man. Had Inuyasha been more used to this time, perhaps he may have realized that the man's lack of reaction to such an inhuman feat would have been strange. Not to mention no reaction to the hanyou's appearance. "I'm looking for a man with hair like mine. He usually has an expression like he has a stick up his-"

"Inuyasha!"

The hanyou didn't need to turn around to know that the miko was upset with him. For now, she would have to let him locate Sesshomaru. She would be thankful once the bastard's scheme was revealed. He ignored her constant calls for him and continued to focus on the man before him. "Well?! Have you seen him?!" The man only tilted his head in response.

When Kagome reached them, Inuyasha could feel the anger that radiated off of her. The intensity made him subconsciously gulp. It was not often she became this angry. Though it didn't matter. She needed to realize he was only trying to keep her safe. "I know you're angry, but right now I need to find Sesshomaru. You'll forgive me once I prove he is planning something!"

Her eyes glanced between the two males for a moment and a wave of relief washed over her. "He's probably gone by now, Inuyasha. going off the clock on my phone, I had dozed over an hour ago. I doubt he wanted to stay around."

"No.. No, he's here. His scent is still highly fresh." Golden eyes turned back towards the man, "Look, have you seen the guy or not?! I don't have time to waste!"

Kagome gasped loudly and pulled on Inuyasha's sleeve, "I just saw a flash of white! It was near my house!"

Her friend wasted no time and left her behind as he chased after whatever she has seen, or rather lief about seeing. The moment the hanyou was out of hearing range, the man near her began to chuckle.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Of course, he would find the situation amusing. There was something that had been eating at her, though. Something that she had been wanting to ask and now had the perfect opportunity. "If he noticed your scent, how did he not realize it was you? With that same sense of logic, Inuyasha should have known about Kirara a long time ago."

"The glamour cast on us affects our scents when it's in effect. He smells my scent because I took the glamour off for a time," Sesshomaru replied with his hand outwards. The reason as to why didn't have to be explained. Kagome quickly pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and placed it in his hand. As he began to send the new video to himself, he continued to speak. "I had the illusion designed in such a way because of him. Had Kirara or Jaken been discovered early on, it would have changed the course of everything."

"That makes sense."

Sesshomaru handed back the phone. A smirk instantly formed on his face. He allowed his glamour to fall as he embraced her. His cheek rubbed against her hair as his hands rubbed her back. The exchange was over as quickly as it started, leaving Kagome blushing profusely.

"Not that I am complaining about a hug, but what was that for?"

"My brother is convinced I have a scheme in mind. So why not play along and mess with him. Close contact with me will strengthen my scent."

Something about his smirk gave her butterflies. She ignored the feeling and sighed. "Geez, thanks. You just made things harder for me."

He shrugged, glamour back in full effect. "There is always that three-lettered word." He chuckled as she rolled her eyes and gently smiled. 'By the way, your tutoring starts tomorrow. I expect to see you at my house after school."

"So soon?"

"Sooner the better. You have a lot of catching up to do if you want to graduate this year. I would say you could come tonight, however, I highly doubt Inuyasha would allow you to come home alone."

"To come home?"

His eyes widened a fraction before forcing his expression to recover quickly. "Did I misspeak? To come to my home is what I meant."

Kagome grinned, "No, no, no. Not so fast! I think you just offered me to move in! You can't take that back! A life of luxury is too tempting to walk away from. Now that I think about it, I saw a pool before I left! Sorry to say, but I'm taking this offer. You're just going to have to deal with it."

"Seems I will need a room prepared for you as well as your own set of keys then," he chuckled. "Until tomorrow, Kagome."

The smile on her face remained as she watched him walk away. The moment he was out of sight, she turned around and walked towards the house. Her smile disappeared the moment she passed the well house. Inuyasha leaned against its wall, previously hidden from her view. His golden eyes stared at her with strong intensity.

The moment he had taken off to chase after what she had seen, he went to the house but noticed no difference in the area. Then it hit him. Kagome was too quick to point him in the "right" direction. Instead of coming with, she remained behind with a strange man. A man that seemed so oddly familiar. Every instinct quickly screamed at him that he had been deceived.

He ran back and hid behind the building, trying to keep his presence hidden. The moment he heard the male speak, he knew. That was a voice he could never mistake for another. The way the conversation carried on made him want to gag. They sounded friendly, an idea that bothered him greatly. If there were any doubts held about an ulterior motive, they were gone now. Inuyasha was sure his brother was trying to use Kagome in some way and was resorting to trickery. Something the daiyoukai always claimed to be above. It only proved to him how much of a liar his brother was. Sesshomaru didn't care about Kagome and he was not her friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this chapter is a bit long. Almost 30 away from being 6,000 I think.
> 
> I had the idea of this chapter since chapter 2. My only worry is if it comes across as well I had intended for it too. I rewrote it a few times and reread it so much that I feel slightly desensitized to it.
> 
> Sorry in advance if you don't like it like the other chapters!

  
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Actually, she could. It was Inuyasha and his current behavior was nothing new. His stubbornness combined with his thinking of always being right and the need to have her act according to that was something she always found annoying. Kagome loved her friend to death, but he just never knew when to leave something alone.

"Enough!" Kagome threw her hand in the air, signaling him to stop ranting. For a while, she thought his tirade yesterday would never end. It got to the point she doubted he would allow her to go to sleep. The second she was home from school, it continued instantaneously. To add to her annoyance, the inu followed her as she tried to escape to her room.

"Look! I'm not going okay! He sent me a text earlier today and canceled on me."

One would think that would have made him happy. It didn't. Inuyasha knew that his brother was still going to have other attempts to be in her life. It was for that reason alone that he still wasn't pleased. Though, it did add to his ego a bit. His brother was already showing signs that he was unreliable. "You kept arguing with me and he already was quick to ditch you! I told you-"

"I said enough, Inuyasha! Just leave so I can change and study! I'm so behind in school as it is! Even if I'm not receiving his help today, I still need to catch up on my own!" She placed her hands on his chest and forcefully pushed him out of the room. The door was immediately slammed in his face and locked so he could not barge in as she changed. To play it safe, she locked the window as well and closed the curtain.

With a deep sigh, she plopped down on the edge of the bed. It felt as if she was drowning in her emotions. School was something she found more difficult to balance by the day. It made her feel like a failure. The fact that she struggled in the feudal era too, did not help. At times, there were people she could not save, times she felt like dead weight, and a constant reminder that she was nothing like Kikyo. The futuristic girl did not compare in skills or strength to the dead priestess. It felt as though her only use was being a shard detector. Even in that regard, she could be easily replaced.

The negative feelings did not improve when she dwelled back on school and her friends of this era. Never had she lied so much in her life. It broke her heart to think that she was becoming distant from the people she had been the closest to. They still had her back anytime she made an appearance, however, sometimes Kagome felt as if she was being left behind. Even felt pitied for the random fake illnesses that her grandfather cooked up. To everyone from school, Kagome was a ticking time bomb that could drop dead any second.

If there was anything Kagome hated the most, it was being fake. It was the very thing that seemed to be required of her lately. Pretending to be ill, acting as if she didn't feel depressed, that her life didn't feel it was falling apart. In various ways, her fakeness existed on both sides of the well and she absolutely could not stand it. It only aided her current downcasted mood.

A sudden vibration in her pocket caught her attention. Pulling it out, she looked at a notification. A text from Sesshomaru. Strange, wasn't he suppose to be extremely busy? Kagome opened the message and immediately smiled.

_Sorry for earlier. If you still desire to, you can come over. The previous matter that arose has been dealt with._

For some reason, this alone filled her with glee. It wasn't until now that she realized she had been disappointed to not see him today. Though, she didn't question the reasoning of it much. The moment her eyes read the text, she threw the phone on the bed and began to peel off her uniform. Throwing on black shorts and a purple shirt, Kagome started to dig in a drawer of socks. A mismatching pair of socks was grabbed without care. The girl was too excited to put effort into making it match. Grabbing her book sack, she left the room.

She ran down the stairs and called out to her mother. "I'm going to his house again! Sesshomaru said he's free to tutor me."

The older woman walked out of the kitchen smiling. She then headed over to her purse that hung near the doorway. Digging inside, her mother pulled out a large amount of cash and passed it to Kagome. "Keep the extra dear."

"Wha- Mom, this is more than enough! I don't need-"

"Don't worry about it." Her mother's smile grew even more. Something in the woman's eyes told Kagome there was something her mother wasn't quite telling her. "I'll call a taxi for you."

"Thanks..." Kagome eyed the woman carefully before hugging her. Something was off, but what? She headed to the door and slipped on a pair of sneakers before leaving. Glancing down at the number of bills in her hand, Kagome knew it was excessive for a back and forth trip. Quite frankly, she had never been handed this much before. As she counted the exact amount, her eyes widened. How was her mother affording to give her this much money?!

"Thought you said you weren't going to his place today."

The male voice behind her caused her heart to freeze mid-beat as a heavy feeling formed in her stomach. Slowly, she turned around and looked up at the roof. When she hadn't immediately seen Inuyasha inside or outside, she thought the coast was clear. Oh, how wrong she was.

"I'm not-"

"Don't lie to me, Kagome. You should know I can hear inside the house, even from right here."

He was right. She did know and felt shame for immediately trying to lie. Not for the reason that she was caught, but shame regarding herself. Why was she acting as if she was doing something wrong?

"It was true when I said he canceled on me earlier today. Whatever it was that came up is over with now, though. He told me to come over."

Inuyasha jumped off the roof, landing right in front of her. His nose twitched. His brother's scent was easier to deal with when he was on higher ground. Now that he was closer to the various sources, it was stronger. The scent was quite literally everywhere, including the object she held in her hand.

"You're not going." The moment she went to object, he continued to speak. "You're not going... At least, not alone. I don't trust the bastard and I refuse to let you go into a dangerous situation alone. Honestly, I'd rather you not go at all. I'm half tempted to drag you through the well, but he is there too. Regardless, we both now a simple word will quickly put an end to that plan. So if you insist to go through with this, I'm going to be by your side."

Honestly, his desire to keep her safe would have been so sweet if he didn't make it sound like she was going to war. Was it that difficult to understand she just needed help with her homework?

Although reluctant on the matter, she didn't argue with him. While she'd rather study with Sesshomaru alone in peace, she was thankful he was willing to compromise and allow her to go. The word allow felt sour. She was going to go no matter what. The word itself just made it seem she need his permission in the first place.

There was tension between them as they silently waited for her ride. The wait, combined with the hat he was forced to wear, annoyed Inuyasha. It would be simpler and quicker if he ran there, but he knew things worked differently here. Humans were not aware of youkai and he could not move fast enough to not be seen. Memories of the first time he attempted to carry a sword into town surfaced. Needless to say, it did not end smoothly.

When the moving metal box arrived, he immediately didn't trust it. The tension in the air only festered as he was forced to climb inside and wait to reach their destination.

The ride lasted longer than he cared for. Still, it was quicker than he would have been able to do on foot. As the car traveled on a long road in the middle of a forest, Inuyasha grew on edge. This place was in total isolation. The fact he knew Kagome had ventured out here on her own already to see Sesshomaru did nothing to aid his emotions.

The inu's reaction to the first glimpse of Sesshomaru's house was very similar to Kagome's. No one could expect the stoic daiyoukai that traveled the countryside to live in extravagance.

The one thing that was immediately different from her first time here was that someone stood in the front yard. A pale woman with fiery hair stared at the approaching car as if she was expecting them. To make the situation even weirder, she was wearing a bikini.

"Who the hell is that?" Inuyasha's voice held a serious tone, though his cheeks were tinted pink due to the lack of her clothing.

"No idea," she responded. "Sesshomaru lives alone."

When the car stopped, Kagome paid the driver before exiting the car. Inuyasha followed suit and stood by her side, staring at the woman before them. As the taxi started to pull away, the woman began to bust out laughing as she stared at Inuyasha.

"Oi! What's so funny?!"

"Oh my gosh," she laughed as she wiped tears from her eyes. "I need to take a picture! I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but I can't let you live this down. That hat!" She laughed a bit more before quieting down and turning to Kagome. The woman's face brightened even more as she clapped her hands in delight and squealed with glee. Not giving the miko time to react, she hugged her and then quickly pulled away. "My name is Tarai. I'm so happy I finally get to meet you, Kagome! My mate has told me so much about you!"

The miko stared at her confused. There was no way she was Sesshomaru's mate. He was single and lived alone. So then who was it that knew her?

Her confusion didn't clear as Tarai put a finger to her lips before pulling Kagome into the house. Inuyasha followed behind quickly as his mind tried to catch up to the reality before him. The mystery woman acted as if she knew him, yet he never saw her in his life. Then there was the scent that radiated from her. A scent that he knew all to well and it was not one that belonged to his brother. The scent was intense, instincts telling him it belonged to an adult, not a child like he was accustomed to.

Inuyasha felt out of his element as he gazed around the inside of the home. The whole time coming over here, he imagined arriving at some sort of hellish nightmare. A place Sesshomaru would end up torturing Kagome in. Instead, the home was nothing like he had ever seen. There were times he and his friends stayed in a lord's palace due to the monk's schemes, but this was on its own level. The architecture alone was a style that proved they were in a different time.

He took off his hat, dropping it on the table in the middle of the foyer. It was bad enough this stranger laughed at him. He didn't need the bastard joining in.

As the trio got closer to the kitchen, laughter from in the room filled the silence in the air. Neither knew what to expect, but the sight they were greeted with was not it. A small boy sat on Sesshomaru's shoulders, holding onto his hair. Two children that seemed slightly older, a boy and a girl, sat on his feet, their bodies wrapped around each leg. He smiled down at them as he lifted one leg at a time, and stomped down.

The moment he saw movement at the kitchen's entrance he looked up. His eyes went wide as he saw his newly arrived guests. The smile on his face quickly disappeared. The children that clung to his legs looked behind them to see why their fun had suddenly ended. When their eyes saw Inuyasha, they abandoned Sesshomaru.

"Uncle Yasha," they exclaimed as they ran to cling to him.

"Hey! Get off of me! Ugh! The two of you are soaking wet," Inuyasha fussed as he tried to shake them off his legs. The children only laughed and held on tighter.

The child that was still on Sesshomaru's shoulders tugged on his ear. " I wanna play with Yasha, Grandpa."

Silently, Sesshomaru pulled him off and set him down. While the child ran to join in on the fun his siblings were having, the daiyoukai stared at the miko and his brother. His eyes then focused on the woman who seemed to be enjoying the situation too much.

Kagome glanced at children that were tormenting Inuyasha. Her mind was slowly starting to piece things together, but she still felt like dots were missing. They were obviously Tarai's children, considered Inuyasha their uncle, and Sesshomaru their grandfather. Was she his child? Her eyes darted to the woman. Unless she took after her mother more, the two looked nothing alike. Adopted?

"Kagome." Sesshomaru's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Why are you here? We agreed not to meet today."

She tilted her head with a furrowed brow. "Yeah. Then, you told me nevermind. That I could still come."

"I never-" His hands darted to pat his pockets out of instinct. When his palms touched the wet fabric of his swimming trunks, he remembered his phone was in his pants pocket that he left in his room. A room on the second floor that one person was still on. A growl escaped from him. " _ **Kit**_."

Tarai took this moment to finally speak. She walked over to Sesshomaru and patted his shoulder. "Now, now. No reason to be upset."

"You knew," Sesshomaru growled. There was nothing he wanted to do more than wipe the damn smile off of the Irish kitsune's face. "You allowed him to conspire behind my back!"

"I know you're upset, but no harm was done. He has a right to see his-"

"No harm was done?! They shouldn't be here! She shouldn't be here!" The moment the words left his mouth, his jaw clenched. He was treading on thin ice as it was, now he went and stuck his foot in his mouth. His meaning and intent with his words were not the same way Kagome would take them. Golden eyes shifted to her, ready to try to fix whatever damage he could've caused.

"I'm not entirely sure what is going on," Kagome spoke up. Her heart felt as if it was pounding as anxiety took root. There was a pit in her stomach from a feeling of rejection. She wasn't sure why it hurt so much that he didn't want her here. Their new friendship had only lasted a few days, after all. Yet, somehow it felt longer than that. "But, I can see my presence is not wanted, so we'll just go. I'm sorry for causing trouble..."

A warm, deep voice spoke up from behind her. "Relax. He didn't mean it like that. You always were quick to jump to conclusions."

A squeak escaped her lips as she jumped in fright. Kagome spun around to confront the male behind her and froze. A familiar face that was now older, emerald eyes that shined just the same as they did yesterday. His hair was still a reddish-brown, though it was now shorter. "S-Shippo?"

The kitsune smiled and nodded. "Hi, Momma."

Momma. A word that would slip out from the kit on rare occasions. It use to be more frequent, but Inuyasha's teasing had caused Shippo to use it less often. Hearing it from him now and seeing him grown caused her to tear up. He was a missing dot that helped to connect the picture even more. Other dots were still missing, but for now, he was the only one she was focused on.

Guilt washed over her as she realized Sesshomaru wasn't the only youkai in her life. She had been so focused on helping him and befriending him that she didn't think about the kitsune that thought of her as a mother. How he too had to go through the years, watching his human companions die. Had he been alone as well? Suffering in pain with no one to turn to? Youkai aged so slow compared to humans... Was he once more a scared little orphan that was alone in the world?

The moment the tears began to form in her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed into his chest, whispering apologies that he thought unnecessary. Shippo did his best to soothe her as she had done for him when he was younger. He muttered reassurements as he tried to not cry himself. The pain he felt when the well close felt as though it was fresh once more. As if the whole event had just happened.

The children, sensing the sadness from their father, joined in the hugging to try to soothe their pain. They weren't aware fully of who Kagome was to Shippo, but they knew he cared about her a lot.

Inuyasha watched the scene before him, still trying to process everything. Smelling an adult Shippo's scent was one thing, seeing him, on the other hand, was completely different. It was as if he was in some sort of weird dream, especially since he had seen the small kit that morning. To top it off, he was mated, had children, and allowed his children to be incredibly friendly with Sesshomaru. He wasn't sure if it qualified as a weird dream or a nightmare.

Once the hugging ended, Shippo sent the children to go play outside. It was then that missing gaps of information began to be filled in.

"I can't go directly into detail, but at some point, Sesshomaru took me in." Shippo leaned against the fridge as he stared at the group that surrounded the kitchen island. "I stayed with him for a few centuries until it was time for me to go live on my own. I needed to learn to be independent."

Sesshomaru huffed, "Independence. You visited so frequently in the beginning, I feared I was stuck with you forever."

"Aw, I love you too, Papa." The kitsune chuckled when the elder inu growled. The look on Inuyasha's face made the situation even more amusing. "Anyways, at some point, I started to travel. First, it was only in various territories. The range kept slowly growing until eventually, I was visiting other countries. I was staying in Ireland for a few months when I met Tarai. The two of us hit it off very quickly."

"Funny. I remember it differently. You had your glamour on, something that folks in my country had yet to use. I thought he was human, so I pushed him into a lake as a prank. Let me tell you, he was not happy," her hand covered her mouth as she laughed at the memory. The glare her mate gave only caused her to laugh more.

"I feel like I missed so much," Kagome muttered. Her little Shippo was grown, in love, and had children. It hurt to think she wasn't and wouldn't be around for any of it. The fact that Sesshomaru stepped in a parent role for him made her both happy and sad. She wished it hadn't been necessary.

"You're lucky," Sesshomaru responded. "The two of them pop out so many kits, they put rabbits to shame. Its a headache."

Shippo rolled his eyes. "You're overdramatic. I only have four."

"As I said, a headache."

"The fact the two of you are so chummy makes me want to barf." Inuyasha crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorway on the other side of the room. He had refused to be anywhere close to his brother. The fact they were in the same room was too close in his book. "Are we actually suppose to believe that Sesshomaru of all people decided to raise you?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned.

"Don't give me that, Kagome. I don't know what the hell his gimmick is or his motive, but I know something is fishy when I smell it. Its bullshit that I am supposed to believe that the bastard who has hated me since birth, has tried to kill me as well as our friends, including you, is some caring and nice guy. Fuck that!"

Tarai got out her chair and grabbed Kagome's hand, pulling her up. "Let's go swim with the kids! I left a swimsuit hanging in the laundry room last time I was here! You can use that."

Green eyes watched as his mother struggled against his mate. Her protests fell on deaf ears as she was dragged out of the room. The smile on Shippo's face dropped as his focus shifted to Inuyasha. "I understand your reasoning, I do. You need to realize though that you are wrong. Neither Kagome, you, or anyone else for that matter is in danger from him."

"Yeah right. He is already trying to toy with Kagome! All this secrecy about meeting with her and hyping her up to think they're close buddies. Then, he told her not to come, changed his mind, and got pissed because she was here! We both know she is too caring, too trusting. The bastard is toying with her for entertainment!"

Sesshomaru shot up from his chair and walked towards him. The venom in his voice was thick as he spoke. "Tell me, brother. What is my goal? My plan to use her? Better yet, tell me how it is of any of your business when you have hurt her far worse than anyone else!"

A blur of red closed the gap between them. A clawed hand rose, ready to attack his older brother at any moment. Inuyasha growled, "I would never harm her!"

"Is that what you tell yourself? Each time you visit the dead miko, leaving your pack unprotected. Do you tell yourself excuses so you don't have to feel bad? Do you think you're not hurting her each time you compare her to that walking corpse? Feeding her lies that make her feel worthless?!"

Hands shot out and pushed them both away from each other. "Enough!" Shippo turned to the younger inu, hoping to help him calm down and see reason. "He doesn't have anything evil plans. I promise, Inuyasha. He canceled on her because I arrived without notice. He didn't want us to meet. Not yet. Time is fickle and Sesshomaru is worried about changing the past.

"The moment I smelled her scent in the house, I ignored his warnings to not make contact with her. He left his phone in his room while we all went swimming. My youngest needed a nap, so I went upstairs and brought him to my room. I took the chance to take his phone and message Kagome. I did it, not Sesshomaru. That is why he was surprised you two were here. To keep him busy, Tarai had him watch the kids so she could meet you outside."

Inuyasha glared at the kitsune, his rage still not fully gone. If anything it was worse. Some of it was directed at his brother, but a lot was also for himself. In the emotional sense, he hurt Kagome the worst. 

"You realize that it still doesn't make sense right? How am I supposed to believe that all of a sudden he cares about her? Cares about you enough to take you in?"

"It's not all of a sudden, Inuyasha." Shippo frowned at his friend. "For you, yes. For us, no. Its been centuries. He has changed and I have too. Even the you in this era has as well. I'm surprised you still haven't figured out his reason. You knew before all of us."

"Knew what?"

"You guys," Tarai exclaimed as she entered the room, Kagome hiding behind her. The kitsune chuckled and stepped aside to show off the swimsuit Kagome wore. "Look how cute she is!"

Kagome wrapped arms around herself as she tried to keep what decency she could. She was no stranger to bikinis. It was her favorite choice to wear to the beach. The issue was that she wore a one-piece that more so reminded her of a BDSM outfit. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. The swimsuit was way tamer, but it definitely didn't qualify as cute. It was intended to make the wearer look sexy. It was a one-piece in the sense that a small strip connected the top and bottoms. Otherwise, it looked very much like a bikini. Straps laced together around the hips, the sides were cut out, as well as a portion of the chest area. To make it worse, it had a built-in push-up bra.

Inuyasha's breath hitched in his throat as his face turned red. What the hell was with everyone being half-dressed here?! Tarai was practically wearing nothing, their daughter was slightly more clothed with a solid cloth that had ruffles, Shippo, his sons, and Sesshomaru had been topless the entire time. Now Kagome was dressed in... He didn't even know how to describe it.

Snickers failed to be contained as Shippo stared at Sesshomaru. At the moment, the daiyoukai looked like a deer in headlights.

At some point, the brain cells in his head must have begun to work again because Sesshomaru was glaring at Tarai. He turned to the island and grabbed a beach towel that hung on the back of a chair. In an instant, he had Kagome wrapped in it, growling at Inuyasha when he realized he was still staring.

The Irish kitsune smirked as she singsonged, "We're going to the pool!"

The moment the two women left through the nearby glass sliding door, Sesshomaru turned to Shippo. So much had happened in such a short time that he was finding it hard to keep himself calm. "Control your mate!"

"You and I both know that's impossible." The thought of even trying to tell Tarai what to do scared the hell out of him. She was nice and friendly by nature, but her temper... "Besides, I'm sure you didn't actually mind it, heh."

The daiyoukai only glared as a response.

Inuyasha stared at his brother as his mind slowly put the puzzle together. The version of his brother from his era allowed Kagome to be in his personal space. To sleep on him. This version of Sesshomaru had made plans for Kagome to see him. Even told Rin that Kagome is supposed to seek him out at some point. Whatever was supposed to happen in the future, Sesshomaru would decide to adopt Shippo when Kagome was no longer around. His brother was so serious about it that he stayed in the kit's life even when he had a family of his own. Hell, the kids treated him like their grandfather.

The entire situation was strange. Everything was defying the logic he knew. Sesshomaru should have never argued about his relationship with Kikyo and Kagome. If anything, it was something Inuyasha believed he couldn't have cared less about. Yet, the daiyoukai seemed protective about Kagome in that instance. He was even protective when he realized that Inuyasha was staring at her new attire. As if he wanted no one else to see.

_'I highly doubt Inuyasha would allow you to come home alone.'_

_'Besides, I'm sure you didn't actually mind it, heh.'_

"Kami... You're in love with her."

Two sets of eyes looked at him.

"Took you long enough, you idiot," Shippo smirked.

  
~.~.~.~.~.~

The day had not gone according to plan. There were subjects she still yet to understand, tests she needed to cram for, and homework that was due. As the rays of sun warmed her skin while she laid on a pool float, small waves rocking her, Kagome couldn't find the will to care. At this moment, she was relaxed; free of all burdens.

She spent an hour playing with the children and Tarai in the large, in-ground pool. When Shippo and Sesshomaru came outside, she took the chance to lay back. The world didn't feel as if it was burning around her and she reveled in it.

A nearby splash made her eyes fly open. No one was around her. Shippo played with the children as Tarai smiled at her and waved from near his side. She gently waved back as she continued to look around at what caused the noise. Inuyasha was sitting on the patio, still refusing to join in. Huh. The only person missing was-

"AAH!"

Her scream was cut off as she hit the water. She could feel the inflatable hit the top of her head as it came down with her. Needing air, her feet pressed against the pool's floor to propel herself upwards. Kagome coughed up the small amount of water in her lungs as she greedily tried to inhale air. Her throat burned from the chemicals.

Wiping the chlorine water from her eyes, she turned to face the person who deserved her wrath. To her dismay, no one was near her. She looked to the other side of the pool and saw Sesshomaru smiling as Tarai talked to him.

Oh, it was on.

Kagome swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. She smiled happily at the others, telling them she had to go to the bathroom. The moment she was inside, she raided his cabinets, looking for something big enough for her scheme. All hope seemed lost until she opened one last cabinet. There were multiple pans, pots, and other things that did not seem to go together.

_Must be the junk cabinet._

It was in that one cabinet that she had found salvation for her plan. There was a three-gallon water cooler tucked away. After moving random junk out the way, she pulled it out and set in on the island. Going to the fridge, she opened the door and took out the container of ice. Once it was poured inside the cooler, she placed it back, brought the cooler to the sink, and filled it with cold water. It was not filled to the brim, but filled to the maximum she felt she could comfortably carry.

Quietly as possible, she snuck back outside. Lucky for her, the children's laughter, as well as the splashing of pool water, helped to cover up her sounds as she approached. It was even better that the daiyoukai had his back facing her.

The moment she was at the pool's edge, she dumped the entirety of it on him. Laughter erupted from the adults, even from Inuyasha. For a moment, Kagome was laughing with them. That was until a clawed hand shot out and pulled her in.

Thankfully, this side was not as deep. She was able to immediately stand up, the water stopping just above her chest as she coughed. Once more as she went to glare at him, Sesshomaru was gone. His disappearing act was beginning to annoy her.

The daiyoukai was not missing for long as seconds later she felt hands grab her legs as she was lifted. Sesshomaru sat her on his shoulders beneath the water and rose quickly before she could escape.

Her hands grabbed his hair tightly as she felt unsteady. "Sesshomaru! Put me down!"

"Are you sure about that, Ka-Go-Me?" 

She didn't have to see his face to know there was a huge smirk. The cocky jerk.

Not liking the fact she didn't reply, he started to lean backward, causing her to hold on for dear life.

"Don't you dare let me go!"

"I don't plan to," he smiled. 

Then two of them fell backwards into the water together.

  
~.~.~.~.~.~

Damp, dark hair was sprawled out on the couch as she slept, snoring ever so softly. Golden eyes warmly gazed down at the tired miko. Gently, Sesshomaru placed a blanket over her. He knew he was going to have to call her mother and inform her that she would be spending the night. An arrangement he didn't think would be much of an issue. His intent had already been made known to the woman, who found the situation romantic.

"You really do, don't you?"

Sesshomaru glanced up at his brother, who stood in the doorway. A clarification for what he meant wasn't needed. He knew it was a continuation of earlier. His brother's mind still trying to come to terms with everything. "Yes."

Neither spoke for a while. Both standing there in silence as gentle and quiet snores filled the air. One struggled to find the words to say while the other already had had them said.

"If you hurt her," Inuyasha began.

"Save your breath. We've already had this conversation."

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. Did anyone know how to respond to someone who knew conversations you had yet to even have?

The elder gazed once more at the woman and smiled ever so lightly. She was beautiful in every way. Amazing in every way. No human, youkai, or any other being could compare to her. Not in his eyes.

As she slept on the couch, he debated if he should move her. She had been comfortable enough to sleep here, but a bed would be more comfortable. Then again, if he moved her, he risked waking her up. Sesshomaru took a deep breath in contemplation before making a decision.

Gently, he lifted her and held her close to his chest. Kagome moved slightly before once more falling in a complete state of rest. Even though she did not awaken, he still did not move. The daiyoukai stood there, looking down at her as emotions filled his chest.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to put her in a bed?"

"I.." Sesshomaru continued to stare down at her. "I never held her like this. Not... Not with both arms."

If he hadn't known better, Inuyasha would have thought the person before him wasn't his brother. Some imposter. Yet, he did. While it was still hard to accept, even he couldn't deny the look his brother currently had. The way he interacted with Kagome throughout the day.

Silence filled the air once more until Inuyasha spoke, "How did you get your arm back?"

Sesshomaru shook his head and began to walk forward. He didn't want to think about that period in time. The arm had been a victory, but what he lost not long after was too great. A pain he never wanted to live through again. He passed by Inuyasha, not saying a word.

"Hey."

Sesshomaru stopped, not looking back.

"Does she love you?"

He looked down at the woman in his arms. He remembered the warmth in her eyes. How over time it seemed to grow. Sesshomaru remembered all the time they had spent together. The tales of their lives that they shared.

"No... But, I hope that one day she will."


End file.
